Jar sealing apparatus



Feb. 9, 1932. G. sTAUNToN JAR SEALING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 192s Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE GRAY STAUNTON, F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, .ASSIGNOR TO VACUUM SEAL GOM- PANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

.A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK JAR SEALING APPARATUS .Application led April 12,

My invention relates to improvements in means for sealing jars or the like and more particularly to a mechanism for sealing jars as they pass by a given point upon an intermittently operated horizontal conveyor.

@ne of the objects of my invention is to provide an apparatus for rapidly sealing jars, such as are used for preservation of food products, by extracting practically all of the air and other gases from the jar, after it has been nearly filled with food to be preserved, thereby removing from contact with the food practically all of the oxygen and other gases that are liable to undesirably adect the food.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a mechanism which shall be simple, etiicient and positive in its operation.

@ther objects will be apparent to those familiar with the art from a consideration of 30 the following specification and drawing,

wherein:

The ligure shows a side sectional elevation ot my improved apparatus with parts broken away.

Referring to the drawing l have shown a simple apparatus by which my invention may be carried into edect in which a conveyor having a plurality of links 10 with upwardly extending annular rings 11 comprises the longitudinally movable supporting table upon which the jars 12 are carried. The annular cated at 14 and has had placed thereon a cap or closure 15 on the periphery of which is provided a sealing ring 16.

il space 17, beneath the cap 15 and above the surface of the contents 14 of the jar, is

iilled with a food material, for example, indi-` 1923. Serial No. 269,321.

at this time iilled with air, or' gases 'formed by the food products. il vertically arranged plunger 18 is secured by means of a Harige 19 to the lower surface of a suitable support 20, and extends into the hollow bore 21 of a cylinder 22. Two arms 23 extend radially from the upper end of the cylinder 22 and are connected by means ot coil springs 22-24 with ears 25 formed on the flange 19. 'lhese springs tend normally to hold the cylinder 1n its uppermost vertical position, movements in this direction being limited by the stop pin 26 carried by the plungerlS and abuttlng against the upper rim 27 of the cylinder. 1n order to prevent rotation of the parts relative to each other, l have provided a vertical slot 28 in the inner wall of this cylinder 22 and a pin 29 carried by the plunger 18 engages therewith.

The lower end of the cylinder 22 is flanged outwardly as at 30 and downwardly at its extreme periphery 31 forming a cup shaped member slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the jar cap 15 and havin an annular rubber gasket or washer 32 whic forms a gas tight connection with the upper surtace of the rim of the jar 12. A wall 33 forms the lower end of the chamber 21 within the Gil cylinder 22 and also forms the upper wall ol Y a second chamber 34 positioned at rthe lower end of the cylinder 22 and communicating by a conical aperture 35 with the space 50 within the cup shaped member 30, 31. A conical valve 36 cooperates with the conical opening 35 and is carried at an intermediate point on the lealI spring 37, one end of which is secured as at 38 to the under surface of the flange 30, and the other end of which is looped over as at 39 and provided with a finger 40 at its end which bears downwardly against the cap 15 of the jar. A conical aperture 41 is provided in the wall 30 ot the cup shaped member 30, 31, cooperating with a conical valve 42 carried on the spindle 43, sliding within the bridge 44 carried on the upper ace of the wall 30. .'lhe lower end of the spindle 43 extends beyond the conical valve 42'and bears against the leali' spring 37 near the hooked end 39. il linger button "l (in 44 is mounted on the upper end of the spin'- dle 43.

In order to provide means for exhausting the air and gases from the chamber 17 above the surface of the materials contained within the jar I have provided an exhaust pump or the like indicated diagrammatcally at 45 connected by a pipe 46 with the chamber 34. This pipe is hellcally coiled as at 47 around the outer wall of the cylinder 22 communieating thru the aperture 48 with the interior of the chamber 34. The up er end of the coil pipe extends to one side o the apparatus and is there vertically coiled as at 49, to permit vertical reciprocation of the cylinder 22.

The operation of the ap aratus is as follows: The jars at one end o the conveyor are filled with the material which is to be seapled therein and the cap 15 and gasket 16 are placed thereon. When 'a jar comes beneath the sealing apparatus 13 it is sto ped in its passage and the oper'ator presses ownwardly upon the finger button 44', pushing the cup part 30, 31 over the top ofthe iar making tight contact with the upper edges of the same. When the cylinder 22 was in its uper position held by the springs 24, it is evient that the valve 35--36 is spring closed, thereby preventing any leak in the vacuum system. When the cup 30, 31 is pressed downwardly over the top of the jar, the pressure on the button 44 moves the leaf spring 37 downwardly opening the valve 35-36 and closing the valve 41--42, which normally is open to the atmosphere.

The Spring finger 40 forms a hinge connection upon which the lid is permitted to rise, due tothe lowering of thepressure in the chamber 34 and the space 50 within the cup shaped member 30-31 and above the jar lid 15. The

raising of the lid 15 permits communication between the chambers 17 and 34 thereby exhausting the air and gases from beneath the lid. When the pressure within the chamber 17 equals that within the chamber 34, the lid falls back to its seat aided by the action of the spring finger 40. .The operator then removes pressure from the button 44 permit- Vtin the -springs 24 to draw up the cylinder an cup, closing the valve 35-36, and opening the valve 41-42 which communicates with the atmosphere. The inrush of air immediately causes the lid 15 to seat itself seal.

ing the jar. The sprino's 24-24 are then permitted to'raise the sea 'ng cylinder and cup away from the j ar so that it may pass onward and the next jar may then be brought into position for sealing. v

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without "the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

ing said reciprocable means downwardly for A engagement with a container, means connected to said reciprocable means for holding a cover on the associated container, means associated with said reciprocable means for eX- hausting the air in said container to seal the cover thereto, and means associated with said reciprocable means for returning the exhausting and sealing means to' its normal position after each sealing operation, including a plurality of radial arms connected to said reciprocable means, a support above said arms and a plurality of resilient members connecting said support with said arms. Y

2. In an apparatus for hermetically sealing covers on containers, container supporting means, reciprocable means supported above said container means, means for guiding said reciprocable means downwardly for engagement with a container, means connected to said reciprocable means for holding a cover on the associated container, a vacuum pump, a reciprocable hollow member connected to said vacuum pump and associated with said reciprocable means for exhausting air in said container to seal the cover thereto, said hollow member including a coiled pipe, a loop in said coiled pipe and said coiled pipe being connected in communication with the vacuum pump at one end and the reciprocable exhausting means at the otherend.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- 

